Since the brutal attacks of October 7, 2023, the Gaza strip—home to over 2 million Palestinians—has once again become a critical flashpoint in the Middle East. As the world looks on in horror at the renewal of intense violence between Hamas and Israel, Gazans are engulfed by a humanitarian and security crisis that shows no signs of abating. How did Gaza become the site of such devastation? And what does the future hold for this small strip of land?

In this urgent book, Julie M. Norman and Maia Carter Hallward provide a comprehensive yet accessible introduction to Gaza's political history. Combining a nuanced narrative with hard-hitting reflections from everyday Gazans, the book tells the dynamic story of how Gaza became an epicenter of the Israeli–-Palestinian conflict and a pivotal hot-spot in the region. It also tells the story of a place that, for many residents, is defined by much more than violence or suffering, revealing the resilience and determination of those who live there.

As the world grapples with how to envision Gaza after the latest devastation, this book provides a crucial foundation that unpacks the territory's history through the voices of its civilians, who are all too often absent from debate.